Sat 12/28 BE Game Thread (7 Games)

[ivet]

With yesterday's results, there's a fair chance that the Big East moves into 2nd place in the conference rankings with an excellent showing today.

There will be little to no relative movement among the conferences when the OOC schedules complete.

The Big East will get 5 (with an outside shot as 6) as the 2nd rated conference.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaab/sa ... conference

A .72 gap is not remotely close at all. We're closer to the Pac 12 at #5 than the Big 12 at #2. There's no chance of us getting up to 2. Not enough time and we just didn't do enough OOC. 2-12 vs top 25 and 5-16 vs top 50. Big 12 is 6-10 vs top 25 and 12-18 vs top 50.

And conference rank is pretty much meaningless in getting teams in. W-L's mean a lot, and our 5-6 teams won't have the record to get in.

Oh Stever!

[stever20]

talk to me come March... You all think frankly just because we have the Big East name we're going to get the same respect that we have gotten the last several years. I just don't see that being the case. We have as many OOC losses almost as we did last year- with 5 fewer teams. Think about that. All this despite us having 1 top 100 schedule right now(and that team- Marquette has 5 losses with it). We have 3 schools with schedules in the worst 100.

[NJRedman]

I was at the game, there were more cuse fans there and even the AP writeup noted this. This is not something unexpected as it has happened for a while and Syracuse has so many alumni in NYC. The Cuse fans got pretty loud last few minutes when the game was in question. And Syracuse is plenty familiar with MSG. They were even in the BE finals last year.

I was at the game too, and those fans were very quite in the second half up until the game was decided with about a minute left. Then they got loud. The program might be familiar but the players only played there a handful of times, while the SJU players have played there a couple of DOZEN times. Cuse was not the home team, get over it.

[ElDonBDon]

Please beat Cuse today, Nova. For the sake of all of our RPI, conference prestige, and, well, some revenge for ditching the league.

[anXUfan]

talk to me come March... You all think frankly just because we have the Big East name we're going to get the same respect that we have gotten the last several years. I just don't see that being the case. We have as many OOC losses almost as we did last year- with 5 fewer teams. Think about that. All this despite us having 1 top 100 schedule right now(and that team- Marquette has 5 losses with it). We have 3 schools with schedules in the worst 100.

I guess I'm confused. Kenpom (http://kenpom.com/conf.php?c=BE) says the Big East is in a virtual tie for second with the Big 12 and ACC. LiveRPI (http://www.rpiforecast.com/live-conf-rpi.html) has the Big East currently 3rd with a chance to create space between the PAC 12 (4th) and ACC (5th). I just don't see how the Big East is in a tough spot.

[ivet]

talk to me come March... You all think frankly just because we have the Big East name we're going to get the same respect that we have gotten the last several years. I just don't see that being the case. We have as many OOC losses almost as we did last year- with 5 fewer teams. Think about that. All this despite us having 1 top 100 schedule right now(and that team- Marquette has 5 losses with it). We have 3 schools with schedules in the worst 100.

I guess I'm confused. Kenpom (http://kenpom.com/conf.php?c=BE) says the Big East is in a virtual tie for second with the Big 12 and ACC. LiveRPI (http://www.rpiforecast.com/live-conf-rpi.html) has the Big East currently 3rd with a chance to create space between the PAC 12 (4th) and ACC (5th). I just don't see how the Big East is in a tough spot.

There is one thing you have to know about Stever-He lives and Dies off KenPoms RPI and uses it as a basis to support his claim. The only thing is, when he is set that we are a 5th/6th rank conference, it doesnt matter if KenPom's number argue otherwise. He is very selective as far as what and when to use certain figures to backup his claim.

In this instance, he is using Stephen Colbert's method of Truthiness to back up his claim. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truthiness

[stever20]

talk to me come March... You all think frankly just because we have the Big East name we're going to get the same respect that we have gotten the last several years. I just don't see that being the case. We have as many OOC losses almost as we did last year- with 5 fewer teams. Think about that. All this despite us having 1 top 100 schedule right now(and that team- Marquette has 5 losses with it). We have 3 schools with schedules in the worst 100.

I guess I'm confused. Kenpom (http://kenpom.com/conf.php?c=BE) says the Big East is in a virtual tie for second with the Big 12 and ACC. LiveRPI (http://www.rpiforecast.com/live-conf-rpi.html) has the Big East currently 3rd with a chance to create space between the PAC 12 (4th) and ACC (5th). I just don't see how the Big East is in a tough spot.

Those metrics are fine. The problem though is just our records.... We have 4 teams with fewer than 3 losses right now. 5th/6th place teams likely won't be those teams(except for maybe Providence- though they may get their 3rd today). The problem is 3 OOC losses plus 9 conference losses plus 1 BET loss and you have 13 losses. That's a lot of losses to make the tourney. Even 12 is a lot quite frankly.

And using RPI forecast right now....

Look at the projected RPI's right now:
Villanova 7.3
Creighton 31.8
Georgetown 39.5
Xavier 58.3
Butler 59.2
Marquette 64.2
St John's 75.6
Providence 84.8
Seton Hall 145.5
DePaul 158.1

they have 5 teams from 58-84. All between 8-10 and 10-8(Marquette 10-8). Xavier with 19 wins and 4 with 18 wins. That's great- but that puts all of those teams on the wrong side of the bubble.

As a conference as a whole, no one is more balanced. But balanced doesn't get a lot of teams into the tourney.

[anXUfan]

My argument, at least, has been that a strong performance today changes those numbers - and the related forecasts.

I also predict we'll see more separation in conference than many expect.

[stever20]

My argument, at least, has been that a strong performance today changes those numbers - and the related forecasts.

I also predict we'll see more separation in conference than many expect.

Your 1st statement wouldn't help the RPI much outside of just more individual wins. 5-2 is what we're supposed to do. The one that would be a huge one would be frankly PC vs UMass.

More separation would be good- but I just don't know how realistic that would be. PC will likely be that 7th/8th place team- and they are incredibly dangerous to steal some games. Butler/Xavier would likely be that other 7th/8th team- and once again- same scenario.

[ivet]

My argument, at least, has been that a strong performance today changes those numbers - and the related forecasts.

I also predict we'll see more separation in conference than many expect.

Please don't encourage him.